1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid-crystal module and a liquid-crystal display device, and more particularly, to a liquid-crystal module and a liquid-crystal display device, both having a bezel having nut members, wherein a thread groove is formed on an interior circumferential surface of each nut member.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid-crystal module (a liquid-crystal display device) having a bezel including a nut member having a thread groove formed on an interior circumferential surface thereof has hitherto been known (see JP-A-10-69236 and Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3087458).
JP-A-10-69236 discloses a flat display device according to a first conventional example. In this device, a substantially cylindrical nut having a thread groove formed on an interior circumferential surface thereof is provided at a location on one frame (i.e., the bezel) where another frame is to be screwed, and a screw hole is provided at a position on the other frame where the one frame is to be screwed. In the structure described in JP-A-10-69236, after the screw has been inserted into the screw hole of the other frame, the screw is screwed into the one frame (i.e., the bezel), thereby fixing the two frames through use of a single screw. When compared with a case where two frames are separately fixed through use of different screws, the number of screws and the number of screwing steps are diminished.
Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3087458 describes a liquid-crystal module according to a second conventional example. In this module, a curling nut mount hole, which is to be provided in a bezel and has a thread groove formed on an interior circumferential surface thereof, is formed into a hexagonal shape. A hexagonal fitting section to be fitted to the mount hole of the bezel is provided in the curling nut. According to the structure described in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3087458, when the curling nut is inserted into the hexagonal mount hole of the bezel, the hexagonal fitting section of the curling nut fits to the hexagonal mount hole of the bezel. When a screw is screwed into the curling nut, the curling nut is prevented from rotating along with the screw. In Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3087458, the screw is fastened to the curling nut, whereby the bezel and the case (frame) are fixed together.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a liquid-crystal module according to a third conventional example. FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view partially showing that the liquid-crystal module according to the third conventional example shown in FIG. 12 is exploded. FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view showing that the frame is fitted and fixed to the bezel in the state shown in FIG. 13. By reference to FIGS. 12 to 14, the structure of the liquid-crystal module 100 according to the third conventional example will first be described.
As shown in FIG. 12, the liquid-crystal module 100 according to the third conventional example is equipped with a frame of resin 110, a metal bezel 120, and a liquid-crystal panel 130. The frame 110 is provided so as to support an outer peripheral portion of the liquid-crystal panel 130. As shown in FIG. 13, the bezel 120 has a recessed section 120a into which the frame 110 is to be fitted.
As shown in FIG. 13, four screw holes 121 and three cylindrical insert nuts 122, each having a thread groove on an interior circumferential surface thereof, are provided in the side surface of the bezel 120. The insert nuts 122 are provided on the bezel 120 by means of caulking, so as to protrude toward an interior circumferential surface of the recessed section 120a (i.e., toward the frame 110) of the bezel 120. The insert nuts 122 are used for fixing together the liquid-crystal module 100 serving as a component to be used in a liquid-crystal display device (not shown) and an enclosure (frame) (not shown) of the liquid-crystal display device. The screw holes 121 are provided for inserting screws 123 when the frame 110 is fitted and fixed to the recessed section 120a of the bezel 120 by means of the screws 123 (see FIG. 14).
As shown in FIG. 13, the frame 110 has three groove sections 112 to be used for housing the insert nuts 122 projecting toward the interior circumferential surface of the bezel 120. Each of the grooves 112 is provided so as to have a predetermined depth from the bottom of an exterior surface of the frame 110. Moreover, four screw holes 111, each having a female thread for fixing the corresponding screw 123, are provided in the side surface of the frame 110. The screw holes 111 of the frame 110 are provided at positions corresponding to the screw holes 121 of the bezel 120.
When the liquid-crystal module 100 is assembled, the frame 110 is fitted into the recessed section 120a of the bezel 120 in the state shown in FIG. 13. As shown in FIG. 14, the insert nuts 122 of the bezel 120 are housed in the groove sections 112 of the frame 110. Subsequently, the four metal screws 123 are screwed into the four screw holes 111 of the frame 110, each screw hole having a female thread, by way of the four screw holes 121 of the bezel 120. Thereby, the frame 110 supporting the liquid-crystal panel 130 and the bezel 120 are fixed together, to thus assemble the liquid-crystal module 110.
In the liquid-crystal module 100 of the third conventional example shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the groove section 112 provided in the frame 110 is formed as a recess section (a storage section) for the insert nuts 122. The insert nut 122 does not contribute to fastening of the bezel 120 to the frame 110. Specifically, the frame 110 and the bezel 120 have hitherto been fastened together by means of only the screws 123. In order to secure constant fastening force, a certain number of screws to be used for fastening the frame 110 to the bezel 120 are required. For this reason, there have been a problem of an increase in the number of parts and an increase in the number of steps (assembly steps) during a screwing process.
The frame 110 is formed from resin. The screw holes 111 having female thread sections formed in the frame 110 suffer a disadvantage of screw threads of the female thread sections being liable to collapse as compared with screw holes formed in the metal frame. When the screw threads of the female thread sections of the screw holes 111 have become collapsed, difficulty is encountered in fastening the frame. As mentioned above, since the number of screws is large, the possibility of the screw threads of the screw holes 111 of the frame 110 being collapsed is increased correspondingly. Consequently, an assembly failure is likely to arise, which is problematic.
In the structure described in JP-A-10-69236, one frame (e.g., the bezel) is fixed to the other frame by means of fastening the screws to the nut sections formed in the one frame (the bezel). In order to secure constant fixing force between one frame (the bezel) and the other frame, a certain number of locations to be screwed are required. Therefore, as in the case of the liquid-crystal module according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 13, difficulty is countered in curtailing the number of parts and the number of assembly steps.
In the structure described in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3087458, the bezel is fixed to the case (the frame) by means of fastening the screws only. In order to secure constant fixing force between the bezel and the case (the frame), a certain number of screwed are required. Therefore, as in the case of the liquid-crystal module according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 13, difficulty is countered in curtailing the number of parts and the number of assembly steps.